Wounded Dog, Wounded Heart
by Night's Blackfang
Summary: Young veterinarian Misao comes home to find a dog stuck in her fence. When she helps it, she gets more than she bargained for... Aoshi Shinomori. Under a curse and on the run from the sorceress Tomoe, Misao seems to be the only one who can help him. AM


"Talking"

'_Thoughts'_

'_**Dog's Thoughts'**_

Disclaimer: I don't own Ruruoni Kenshin or any of the characters.

Wounded Dog, Wounded Heart

Chapter One: Man Within the Beast

The pretty young veterinarian sighed, tapping her fingers on her desk. It had not been that exciting of a day, but she guessed that was a better than having to perform a three hour surgery like she had to a few days ago.

Earlier that day, Misao had to tweeze the bits of sharp spikes out of the back of a cat that had rubbed up against a cactus. That was about as exciting as it got.

She cringed remembering how annoying and whiney the owner was being. She kept reassuring the woman that her cat would be fine because it wouldn't die from simple cactus needles stuck to its butt.

Misao looked up at the clock on the wall, 7:45. Realizing her day was over, she slowly got up to leave. She was exhausted and had to drag herself through the lobby to the front door.

"Are you leaving Misao?" she turned to see her fellow veterinarian and best friend Kaoru Kamiya smiling at her.

"Yeah, I'm going home. Maybe I'll watch some T.V. or something." Misao replied pulling her keys from her purse. "Something with hot men in it."

"You should go out clubbing with me and Kenshin tonight. We're going to this new place that's supposed to be good."

"No thanks. You know how I feel about being a third wheel." Misao waved a hand dismissively.

"Come on, you're twenty-three have a little fun. You can find some hot guys there."

"I'll have to decline that offer, I'm kind of tired anyway." She shook her head, grinning.

"Suit yourself. See you tomorrow." Kaoru laughed, hugging the smaller girl and waving as she walked out the door.

Misao walked quickly through the early January air and hopped into her car eager to get home, flop on the couch and do nothing.

~X~

She pulled up in the drive way, and dragged herself out of the car and up the walkway. She stopped and looked around, confused, when she heard a strange rumbling noise.

She followed the noise to her chain link fence to see what looked like a large wolf-like black and white husky with its back paw caught in one of the links. It had a large chunk of glass embedded deep in its shoulder and it was bleeding.

It had to be the most massive dog of its kind she'd ever seen, and by far the most beautiful. _'Surely this dog has to belong to someone'_ Misao thought in amazement as she stepped forward, but stepped back again when its head snapped up and it glared at her.

It snarled at her, baring its large fangs menacingly as blood dripped from them, but that wasn't stopping Misao. She was a veterinarian and she was going to help this dog. Nothing was going to stop her!

So she did the most random thing that popped into her mind, she snarled back. The dog stopped and stared at her, the dog's unusual grey-green eyes piercing into her blue ones, as if mocking her.

Misao stopped snarling as she realized she looked like an idiot. A blush of embarrassment spread across her face and she could swear that the dog was smirking at her stupidity.

'_Why the hell should I let this dog make me feel so embarrassed!?' _Misao thought annoyed.

"What are you doing out here anyway? The sun will set soon and someone could try to take you and sell you or something." She spoke, hoping that her soothing tone would ease the dog's suspicions of her. It didn't.

'_**Do you really think it would be so easy to get a hold of me?'**_ the dog seemed to say, standing as best it could and making its size apparent.

Misao may have only been 5'2" but it was still amazing that the dog's head reached just over her belly button. _'He's almost a foot taller than he should be!"_

"Yes, yes I do. At least I care if something happens to you. Oh great, now I'm holding a conversation as though you can talk! I must be tired."

It stared unblinkingly at her as she reached to take hold of its paw, she dare not break eye contact for fear of being bitten.

"Try anything and I will use anesthetics on you. It'll take the fight right out of you and make this easy." Misao threatened and the dog let out a noise like a sigh and let her grab its paw.

"So you're a boy" she said maneuvering the links, and the dog grunted snapping his attention to her as if disturbed by the statement.

"I wasn't looking there on purpose, dude. It just happened, sorry" she laughed, and the dog nudged her in the side with its head.

"You really do seem like you understand me." She mumbled to her self looking at his paw.

She got frustrated when she couldn't shift the link enough to free his paw without injuring him further. Then she got an idea and said "Hold on I'll get the bolt cutters."

Misao left and returned about three minutes later to find the dog waiting patiently for her. "Wow, you're a good boy."

She's sure the dog would have rolled his eyes and given her a look that said, _**'Where did you expect me to go? I'm trapped.'**_

She quickly kneeled over and cut him free, then set the instrument aside. "Good, you're free, but I'll return these to my neighbor later. Now let me look at your paw. Don't worry I'm a certified veterinarian."

Misao shifted over to the left side of the dog and it stood up, she held the dog's muzzle shut and pulled the glass from his shoulder, causing him to snarl in pain.

"I'm sorry baby. I just had to remove the glass before your shoulder got infected." She said soothingly, and stroked a hand down his back. "Now I have to check your other injuries."

She moved down to the dog's back leg and examined its paw, sighing, "The leg doesn't seem too serious, no fractures. You've been cut pretty bad, though. What the hell were you doing?"

When the dog didn't make the slightest noise she stepped back and looked for a collar, but found nothing.

"Guess it can't be helped, I'll take you inside. I hope you're owner tries to find you soon, they should, you're such a gorgeous dog." The dog seemed silently amused by her comment.

"Don't you smirk at me, dog! I'm on to you!" she glared, pointing at him.

The dog seemed to raise an eyebrow as if saying, _**'Is that so? What are you going to do about it?'**_

"How am I gonna do this, I don't feel like lifting you", the dog stood up and walked proudly ahead of her and waited for her by the door. She raised an eyebrow at him and opened the door.

"You don't hesitate, and you're pretty damn smart. I wonder who your master is. I any normal person could handle an animal as prideful you. "

~X~

Misao wrapped the dog's wounded shoulder and back paw with gauze and bandages from her first aid kit and allowed him to sit on the couch.

The dog's tongue darted out and licked her hand, but then his expression was neutral again.

"You're welcome!" Misao giggled. You know I've never had a dog, I think that's kind of weird, for a vet. But then again, I'm kind of weird for a vet."

The dog stared at her with no reply, "Don't be like that, I feel like we understand each other," she giggled, scratching behind the dog's ear, causing his head to tilt towards her so she could get a better angle. After a couple seconds the dog pulled away as though snapping out of a trance.

"Told you I'm a vet, I know all the best spots." Misao taunted playfully.

The dog huffed and turned his head away from her, making her laugh harder. She had never met such an antisocial and serious dog!

"You know that felt good." She said getting off the couch and walking towards her room to change.

"Let little 'ol Misao take care of you, at least until someone claims you." She smiled, noting the dog's silence. "Maybe I should find something to put around your neck so no one takes you to the pound if you escape from here. You don't seem like the collar type though."

Misao peeled off her clothes, changing into a loose fitting pair of blue sweats and a light purple tank top, letting her hair out of its usual braid. She pulled a long thick metal chain from her drawer and examined it.

"This should work, maybe I'll get a dog tag made for him. But it's not even my dog and I've already gotten attached to it." She chuckled, shaking her head and taking the chain, thinking about the almost mute dog.

Misao opened up her door pulling the pants farther up her hips to keep them from slipping. She quickly made her way down the hall to check that the dog wasn't destroying any thing.

When she turned the corner she got the biggest shock of her life. There on the couch in the dog's place, was an extremely handsome and very naked man.

He was just lying stoically on her couch, looking at her through inky black bangs, as if it should be no surprise to her that he was there. He was a man like nothing Misao had ever seen before, he had to be about 6'3", and Misao noticed a bandage around his foot and one wrapped around his scarred chest and shoulder.

She was so stunned, she didn't even know how to deal with the situation and all that she could manage to say was,

"Oh my God, you're naked!" as she slapped a hand over her eyes "In my house!"

He raised an eyebrow, indifferent facial expression barely changing, as though saying, 'indeed'. He reached calmly for the blanket on the back of the couch and raised himself up to rap it around his slim hips.

'_There is a hot shirtless man in my house, I have wished for this so many times! Oh my God, what if he's a psychopath molester?! Oh no, I'm too cute for this!_' Misao's mind wandered on.

'_I should call the cops!' _She made a mad dash and lunged for the phone on the side table, but he caught her around the waist and pulled her to his well toned, bandaged chest. He reached one long arm out and grabbed the phone off the table, throwing it over his shoulder onto the couch.

"Hey, careful with my phone, man!" She growled at him but stopped herself from saying more as she remembered the situation.

'_He's quick! Damn, I'm screwed!" _Misao thought in shock and annoyance as she realized the man had made it across the room and over a chair with an injured foot, all before she could move even five feet.

He leaned down, and said in the deepest sexiest voice she'd ever heard, "That is not a wise idea, Misao." And for a brief moment, she couldn't even utter a word.

"H-how do you know my name?!" she panicked, trying to break free, but his arms held her in place like steal bars. If she knew who this gorgeous man holding her was, then maybe she wouldn't be complaining. But he might be a killer for all she knew, and that was enough to take the joy out of almost any hot situation.

"You said it when you told me you'd take care of me." Hypnotic grey-green eyes looked down at her through dark bangs, as he slowly spun her around to face him.

'_Those eyes! I know I've seen them before…',_ Misao thought, confused and dropped the chain on the floor in shock.

"W-who are you...?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Aoshi Shinomori."

Hope you liked the first chapter. Reviews please!


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